Shobha Nihalani Interview – Unresolved: A Psychological Thriller Book

Shobha completed her Bachelors in Business Admin. She is a Hong Kong-based author who writes fiction, especially stories that involve murders and mysteries, mad chases, and fiery personalities, all seasoned with the spices of Indian culture. She has worked as a freelance journalist, copywriter, book-keeper, English teacher, and sales person. In her youth, she has lived in such culturally diverse cities as Kano, Bangalore, Singapore, Mumbai and Antwerp. She is currently a Homemaker and a Writer. Let us know more about her writing.

What inspired you to start writing?

I’ve always been a reader. As an only child, books were my consistent friends and since I travelled so much, these friends came with me.

What did you like to read when you were a girl?

Enid Blyton adventure stories, Amar Chitra Katha graphic novels, and many other children’s stories. I started reading Stephen King’s books at a very young age.

What is the greatest challenge in writing a book?

There are many to consider, but importantly is to keep the story gripping, to ensure the reader is engrossed from Page 1. And the characters have to be relatable to the reader.

How much research do you do before writing the book?

I do a lot of background research before writing. I don’t use all of it or it would get boring and stray from the storyline. During the writing process, I do more specific research that is relevant to my plot.

What motivated you to write the book “Unresolved: A Psychological Thriller”?

I love Hitchcock movies and lately I’ve been reading stories where the characters are off-beat or unusual. The style of expressions in any psychological story is the disturbed psyche. These and many aspects of the mysteries of the human mind added to my motivations.

Can you tell us more about your latest book “Unresolved: A Psychological Thriller”?

This dark suspenseful story revolves around a woman’s doubts over her own sanity and her suspicions of the true nature of her husband’s job. She is not sure what to believe. Maya suspects her husband told her a lie, and he is not really a police officer. Deepak is a manipulative unemotional man. He chose Maya to be his wife because of her past history of mental illness. They live in a gated colony where they appear as one of many ordinary families. Maya’s love and respect for Deepak slowly deteriorates to anger and hatred.

How did you came up with the idea of writing thriller fiction genre book?

Ever since I was very young, I’ve enjoyed reading thrillers. Somehow these kinds of stories have always been fascinating and gripping. Therefore I wanted to try my hand at writing in this genre. There was a learning process involved. It is not easy to come up with something that is thrilling and dramatic with a thoughtful plot. It took time to understand the way the sentences are to be structured, and there is a technique to keep the suspense at an even pace so the reader is kept hooked.

Who are your favourite authors?

They vary with time and my frame of mind. I like to read Indian authors like Chitra Bannerji Divakaruni, Ashwin Sanghi, Vikram Chandra, Manu Joseph, Manreet Sodhi Someshwar and Anjali Kirpalani. An American author whose books I’m engrossed in is Mo Hayder.

How much time do you dedicate for writing on a daily basis?

At least 3 to 4 hours a day. But I do take time off, the creative process can be draining, so a few days away from the computer is necessary to refresh the mind.

What words of wisdom would you like to give to aspiring writers?

Keep on writing, keep improving, keep learning new techniques in the writing process, keep persisting towards your writing goals and most of all read, read, read.